Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

92 Motion Picture News October 2 5 , 19 30 MANAGE!?!' KCLND TABLE CLUB EXPLOITING IN ENGLAND! By ROBB LAWSON "Exploiting screen entertainment effectively calls for an insight into English psychology." The above comment from Robb Lawson, publicity director lor the United Artists' Film House in Wardour Street, London, England, can be best explained by reading the English showman's signed article, reprinted below, in which he sums up the show situation in England from the exploitation and publicity angle. Mr. Lawson has long been active in theatrical affairs on the other side, and his observations are made after years of careful study, in which he passes along not only his own opinions but those of his contemporaries as well. it is advisable to avoid ballyhoos, as snobbish prospects are choked off by what they term cheap publicity. In the provincial cities this does not apply, the provincial has not yet lost his sense of curiosity nor his appetite for street shows. As regards "musicals," the gramophone record makers and song publishers always give 100% co-operation for window display tieups throughout the United Kingdom. For merchant shop window displays, it is not quite so easy, but a persuasive and ingenious exploiteer can always overcome prejudices. Woolworth's shops are specially helpful with displays of their 6d edition of film novels. Outdoor stunts sometimes lead to trouble with local police, but there is generally a way round to secure kindly co-operation. Summed up, it is the fascination of overcoming editorial barriers, art editors' predilections for British products, and the prejudices of the old-time exhibitors against exploitation, that make the British publicity man's life a splendid adventure. "The screen is peopled by such characters as were never seen, conversing in a language that was never heard, upon topics which never arise in the commerce of mankind." To adapt Dr. Johnson's phrase that is still the official, class and literary attitude of snobbery towards the cinema in Great Britain. Yet we serve 20 million people weekly with screen entertainment! To exploit that form of entertainment effectively calls for an insight into English psychology. For your Britisher is a pantechnicon-load full of prejudices that must be respected. To the showman the solution is simply to vend the sweets in the proper wrapping paper — in the classic phrase, "feed them with food convenient for them." Just how the English scene differs from the American can be explained by one incident. A few years ago the Dramatic Critics Circle at one of their discussion dinners chose the screen for its whipping post. Only one member — the writer — could say anything in its favor. Today, five well-known dramatic critics who were there find it is part of their duty to write about films in the London dailies, and there is now a film section of the Critics Circle, with ten members. As to the English picturegoer today, he is captiously critical. Largely so, I think, because of the superior manner adopted by the press towards films. Editors have not yet taken the screen seriously enough, and their remarks are dictated by, I would say, flaming ignorance. Two editors of London dailies admit they never see pictures, and I quite believe it, judging by their attitude towards the screen. The mind of the English public is devastatingly skeptical towards film news. Stories about colossal salaries of stars, etc., hinder rather than help. The yarn served up with sauce piquante has a better chance of seeing print. The same conditions prevail with provincial journals. There is scarcely one newspaper which employs a full-time film correspond . ent. A reporter is deputed to cover the cinema showings on Monday openings and his usual method is to write up twelve to forty lines upon the picture, matter for which is derived from an exploitation sheet. There are exceptions in the key cities, of course, but the press attitude towards pictures generally is dictated by the brutal question, "How much are they going to spend in advertising?" — a question that never arises with stage shows. The publicity man has got to ferret out the correspondents who will be useful in the dissemination of news. Among these are free lances who specialize in film gossip, and these have to be encouraged. One phase in the art of preparation or advance work, is to forestall any angle of criticism that may be unfavorable. An example occurs in the case of "Villon," a stormy subject for critics. This was forestalled by sending out an article in advance stating exactly what was known historically of his life and work. The result was that the critics' expected strictures on that angle were effectively stilled. There are six trade papers, but only three fan journals, two weeklies and a monthly. There is also a film paper for boys and one for girls. Advance production publicity presents difficulties. A goodly section of the London dailies and Sunday weeklies are open for news stories, but film news comes last in the list of editorial news values. For the ordinary advance news about stars or productions, there is little demand. As to the fate of screen pars., in some editorial offices "the W. P. B. is King." (W. P. B., expect you know, is "waste paper basket.") Yet London stage gossip is always accorded plenty of space, despite the fact that picture theatres spent ninety times the amount in newspaper display advertising that theatres do. Working "ballyhoos," stunts and street parades in London is anathema to the police. But it can be done! The sad part to a publicity seeker is that when you attend the police court the magistrate usually asks the press men not to publicize proceedings in their reports. In that way you lose your anticipated press publicity. For West End shows catering for high-priced seats ($2 top), Circuit Houses Plug Shorts and Discover They Are Valuable We have consistently stressed the fact that a very valuable form of film to plug is the short subject. We have endeavored to show why, and we were gratified to find out that our arguments were backed up by progressive showmen throughout the country, in the form of a mass of material, in response to our hurry call for anything showing the selling of shorts. In Brooklyn, N. Y., the Century Circuit, an up-to-the-minute chain of theatres, headed by A. H. Schwartz, well-known theatre man in the East, has instituted a regular policy of plugging all shorts of especial merit in each of the circuit's houses. In the photo we are showing you can get an idea of what one enterprising manager of the circuit thought of "Si, Si, Senor," a hilarious comedy just released. -***AVA LO N COMMON CLAY WITH CONSTANCE BENNETT TOM PATRICOLA IN "SI SI SENOR" J! -X :a& It is not only on the marquee, though, that the shorts are plugged. You will find many managers on this circuit tying up windows and working gags and street stunts to put them across. No matter what the type of the short, comedy or drama, they have yet to meet with bum business in plugging them. At times a short has saved the entire show. How are you handling your one and two reelers? Do you put them on as just "fillers"? Or do you try and get more than your money's worth out of them — a thing that may be easily done? Whitbeck says: "The Round Table is progressive . . . in editorial and the doctrine they preach. They encourage you to get out of the rut of old-fashioned sameness and repetition and then . . . what is still better . . . they show you how to do it . . . by story and illustration." And Whitbeck knows!